Do you find yourself telling your students to stop talking? Do you find it's like tug-of-war?
Unwanted chatting is near the top of the list of my frustrations as a teacher. Although I don’t consider it a severe misbehavior, it does still disrupt learning. It’s tricky, because it’s hard to figure out why it’s happening and why none of the strategies you try seem to work. (Even strategies that worked with a previous class may not work again.) Sometimes, it seems so out of control that it can make you question whether stopping the constant chatter is even possible.
The truth is, you can fix excessive chatting and expect silence whenever you need it. But you need a game plan.
Here’s what I do:
# 1 DEFINE SILENCE
I know it sounds RIDICULOUS, but many students just don’t know what it means. They don’t know what it looks, feels, and sounds like. It’s a foreign concept to them. Therefore, you must define silence for them—what it is and, more important, what it isn’t—and let them experience it. Model what they should look like while working independently or listening to lessons. You will need to model this Every. Single. Day. until your class can be silent when you give a signal. Be consistent. Eventually, they will follow through with what you expect. But some groups of students do need more practice than others. Make them prove they get it.
There must be complete understanding of what silence is according to your definition before you can ask them to replicate it.
#2 EXPLAIN WHY
Your students need to know the why of your decisions and then this will cause them to be more accepting and supportive of your wishes. Make sure that you EXPLAIN how silence benefits them and why it is a good thing! They need to know that the ability to concentrate for long periods of time is a critical skill that is key to their learning.
#3 TEACH A SIGNAL
This is an incredibly powerful strategy. For the times when you require silence, like while you’re teaching a lesson or they’re working independently, teach your students a hand signal—a thumbs down sign or anything you like—they can use if a neighbor turns to talk to them. Students using the sign are not allowed to speak to the other student, look at them, or make any other gesture. They just hold up their signal and continue working.
When the student who was talking sees the signal from his/her classmate gets back to work immediately, then you will not need to step in and give a consequence. This is one of those strategies that I have found to work extremely well in the moment.
#4 ENFORCE IMMEDIATELY
Your students need to understand that no talking really means no talking. If your class does get uncontrollably chatty, and everyone is talking while you’re trying to teach or they’re trying to work, then stop the lesson in its tracks. Wait for silence, go back to the previous transition, and state your expectations again. Review your definition of silence. Don’t show any frustration. Don’t lecture, plead, or complain.
Just prove you’re a person of your word.
I hope you find this technique helpful,
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